For Milestone Event, East Brunswick Kids Strive to Save a Life

As they approach the rite of passage that signifies their coming of age, two township boys are already proving to be wise beyond their years.

East Brunswick residents and friends Seth Warner and Tyler Yen, both 12-years-old, are both preparing for their upcoming Bar Mitzvahs by performing a project to help save the lives of people in need of a bone marrow or stem cell transplant through the National Marrow Donor Program. The cause is something of a personal nature for both kids.

"Seth and Tyler both go to Hebrew school together and with their upcoming Bar Mitzvahs, it's customary to do something to make the world a better place," said Seth's mother Amy Warner. "This cause is something that's near and dear to their heart, so they decided to do something to help grow the marrow registry. My brother was a successful recipient of a life saving stem cell transplant three years ago. Tyler has a cousin with leukemia who hasn't had a transplant yet, so this is near and dear to them."

Tyler and Seth have since established a donor drive through the Be the Match Foundation, which seeks to help patients find life-saving marrow donors while providing support throughout the transplant process. Tyler and Seth are seeking to raise $2,000 for Be the Match, while also helping to grow the registry in the process.

Becoming a registered bone marrow or stem cell transplant donor is easy, and  not as painful as many believe, according to the National Marrow Donor Program.

"You swab your cheek. If you are lucky enough to be someone's life saving donor the next step is as simple as giving blood,” said donor Krista Coppola in a prior interview. Coppola donated stem cells to save her sister, Meghan Rizzo’s life, after a leukemia diagnosis. 

“Their hope and life is in the hands of those of you who are generous enough to save them."

"Tyler and Seth want to help grow the registry by having people swab their cheek," Warner said. "People can also make a financial contribution as well."

While the boys' efforts grew out of a project for their Bar Mtizvahs, the cause is something they plan on supporting long after they complete the milestone, with Tyler's Bar Miztvah in January and Seth's in March.

"They hope to continue this well beyond," Warner said. "Joining the registry is a very simple measure. You swab your cheek and mail it in, and then you're in the registry for life. If someone needs you as a match then you would be contacted. The odds on being contacted are very slim, but you could help save a life. Plus, you can track your results on the registry if someone you encouraged to join helps save a life."

The most common way to donate healthy stem cells is through a procedure called Peripheral Blood Cell Donation, where the donor receives injections over a few days to increase healthy cell production. The donation is performed much like a transfusion, where a person sits down and donates blood.

Donors will not know the patient they are donating to until one year has passed, when both parties may agree to meet. In the case of Seth's uncle, the donor remained anonymous.

"(The registry) was a last effort to save my brother's life," Warner said. "Our family members were not a match, so we turned to the registry and found a 10-for-10 match from an anonymous donor, a 19-year-old boy in Europe who swabbed his cheek, and was willing and able to donate to a complete stranger to save my brothers' life."

With both Seth and Tyler having a family connection that adds special importance to the cause, the impact of the project is something that should remain with the kids long after they've completed their special days.

Click here for more information or to join the registry through Tyler and Seth's donation page. Enter the promo code TylerandSeth (if it doesn’t come up automatically) when you go online to join the registry. You can also make a tax deductible gift donation.

Click here to learn more about the Be the Match Foundation.